The critical fight in the game with Shi began in the opening on the lower side, as Surma (white) attacked Shi's weak group in the lower-left corner. Black' move 51, an attachment at H3, was an intuitive shape point, but a better choice would have been to attach on the other side at K3. This mistake created a weak and heavy black group in the center. White capitalized on attacking this group, and black was unable to recover.
The April 14 game with Sun started with a modern joseki in the upper right corner. Surma (black) built thickness towards the center, while Sun claimed some territory. As Sun moved to the lower side to reduce Surma's influence, Surma started a complicated fight in the lower-left corner. The local fight spread quickly into the center. Surma used his thickness on the right side to attack white's center groups. With two groups weak and floating, Sun couldn't hold the territorial balance. He attempted to catch up, but in the process, lost a group and was forced to resign.
In the next round, Eric Lui will attempt to snap Surma's winning streak; the game is set for May 5, starting at 14:00 US Eastern Time. The game will be played on KGS and live-streamed on
Twitch.
photo: Round 1 watch party at the Arizona Go Club; photo courtesy William Gundberg